When a patient faces surgery, the surgeon uses charts to explain the nature of the condition and the surgery to be used to correct the condition. Such explanation is often used to relieve the anxiety of the patient.
However, with some patients, for example children, the situation is quite different. The hospital is often an unknown and fearful place. The patient does not understand what is about to happen. In many cases, the patient is too young or otherwise incapable of understanding the type of charts used by a doctor to explain a condition to normal adults. Thus, those skilled in the art have searched for a readily usable and understandable way to explain to patients the medical problem, and the procedure to be followed.
One solution is to provide a life-like model of various portions of the body which can be opened to reveal the organs in question. However, these tend to be rather large, bulky, and expensive.
Another solution used to aid in explaining and enabling patients to learn about their medical conditions is a manikin made with various appliqueé and embroidery overlays. The manikin, with the aid of Velcro-type fasteners, may be opened and closed to reveal internal systems and organs enabling patients to learn about their medical conditions. Since the various flaps are permanently attached, there is no opportunity to show the changes taking place in another part of the body. Such structure limits the usefulness of such a manikin. Those skilled in the art have continued to search for the solution of how to provide a practical teaching aid.
It would be desirable to have a portable medical training manikin having at least a body torso partially covered with a fastener accepting fabric, adapted to allow the attachment of transparencies, fabric overlays, or functioning models that represent various body parts, medical conditions, and for other training purposes.